This collection
comprises the papers of the Yiddish actress and entertainer Molly Picon. The papers
consist of extensive manuscripts of Yiddish and non-Yiddish plays, numerous radio
and television scripts, programs and announcements for Picon's performances, and
personal material such as correspondence and photographs. Also included is a large
amount of musical material such as songbooks, handwritten lyrics, and sheet music,
much of it in Yiddish.

An entertainer for over 70 years, Molly Picon was one of the most celebrated and
beloved actresses of Yiddish theater and film. At once an all-American girl and a
Yidishe meydel, her engaging performances earned her world-wide appeal.

Picon was born Margaret Pyekoon on February 28, 1898, on the Lower East Side of New
York, the first of two daughters of Clara Ostrovsky and Louis Pyekoon (later Picon).
After Louis left the family, Clara moved with her daughters and her mother to
Philadelphia and supported them by working as a seamstress at Kessler's Yiddish
theater. At age five, Molly entered and won a local theater contest, and her career
in the spotlight thus commenced. She continued performing while growing up,
appearing both in Michael Thomashefsky's Yiddish repertory troupe at the Arch Street
Theater and in cabaret.

In 1918 Picon joined a touring English-language vaudeville show. The tour led her to
Boston in 1919, where she was cast in a production by the manager of the Boston
Grand Opera House, Jacob Kalich. Picon and Kalich married on June 29 of that same
year in Philadelphia. In keeping with the theme of their relationship, Picon wore a
dress fashioned by her mother from a theater curtain, and thus draped in drapery,
Picon began a lifelong partnership with her Yonkel.

Picon and Kalich's partnership proved to be an extremely productive and successful
one. Following their wedding, they traveled through Europe for two years, allowing
Picon to improve her Yiddish and gain experience. Forced to leave Romania because of
anti-Semitism, Picon and Kalich returned to New York and proceeded to create some of
the most memorable shows ever to appear on the Yiddish stage. While Kalich scripted
and directed, Picon starred and often wrote lyrics. Picon and Kalich's 1920s
collaborations included "Yankele," "Mamele," "Circus Girl," "Molly Dolly," and
"Shmendrik." Her performances in these roles established Picon's reputation as a
leading actress of the Yiddish stage and propelled her to national stardom. Dangling
by one leg or suspended by a pole, Picon displayed a seemingly boundless energy as
she somersaulted, sparred, and swung her way through role after role, an acrobatic
approach that gave her performances a distinctive physical edge. Attesting to her
popularity on the Yiddish stage, during the 1920s the Second Avenue Theater in New
York, one of the premier Yiddish theaters in America, was renamed the Molly Picon
Theater.

In addition to her stage performances, Picon appeared in Yiddish films. Her first
film was Das Judenmadel, filmed in Austria in 1921.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, despite growing anti-Semitism in Europe, Picon
traveled there to star in several other Yiddish films, including Ost und West, also known as Mezrach un Maarev (1923). In 1937, in Warsaw, Poland, she filmed Idl Mitn Fidl, one of her best-known films. Picon
returned to Poland even as late as 1938 to film Mamele--the last Jewish film made in Poland before the Nazis
obliterated European Yiddish culture.

While Picon's roots were in Yiddish theater and film, she demonstrated her
versatility by taking on a wide variety of roles in many different venues, including
radio, television, Hollywood films, and Broadway theater. For many years beginning
in 1936, Picon hosted a regular radio program, known as the Maxwell House Coffee
program for its sponsor. Picon's Broadway debut came in 1940, and she was still
somersaulting in 1964 in the Broadway production of Milk and
Honey. In 1981, she was inducted into the Broadway Hall of Fame. Her
Hollywood film roles included the Italian mother in Come Blow
Your Horn (1963), for which she received an Oscar nomination, and Yente
the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof (1971).

Throughout her career, Picon devoted much of her time to patriotic and humanitarian
work. During World War II, she visited refugee camps in Canada and toured army bases
across the United States to entertain the troops. As soon as World War II ended,
Picon returned with Kalich to Europe in order to visit camps and orphanages with the
Jewish Labor Committee. In fact, Picon and Kalich were the first entertainers to
visit the Displaced Persons camps after the war. Back in the United States, Picon
continued her active support of both Jewish and non-Jewish causes by working for the
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, selling Israel bonds, and
making numerous benefit appearances. During the Korean War, Picon was again
entertaining troops, this time participating in USO tours in Korea.

Whether delivering one of her uncanny imitations or kicking up her heels, Molly Picon
infused her performances with vivacity and charm. Beyond the pure entertainment
value of her performances, however, Picon played an important role in preserving
Yiddish culture and bringing it to mainstream American audiences. Her performances
typically blended Yiddish sensibility with American show business style, a
combination that allowed her to reach beyond the immigrant generation and appeal to
second-generation, assimilated American Jews as well as non-Jews. In addition, her
Yiddish films, with their depictions of shtetl life in pre-World War II Europe,
became invaluable records of a vanishing culture.

A celebrity throughout her life, Picon won widespread recognition for her talents and
received many honors. In 1955 she sang for the Knesset in Israel, and in 1975 she
appeared at Carnegie Hall. By the time of her death, on April 6, 1992, Molly Picon
had performed all over the world, from the Lower East Side to Eastern Europe, South
Africa to South America. She was truly a vibrant and treasured figure in the world
of entertainment.

The Molly Picon Papers consist largely of material relating to Picon's career as a
performer, especially in the Yiddish theater. Such material includes plays, scripts,
music, programs, and other theater items. The collection also includes personal
material, such as correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks. Much of the
collection (e.g. Series I, II, III, and most of VI) is in Yiddish. Yiddish titles
(of plays, scripts, and sheet music, for example) have been transliterated, and
material is arranged according to these transliterated titles. As a rule, whenever
possible, Yiddish transliterations were made directly from the Yiddish titles as
written on the material itself and were made according to a consistent method, even
when other transliterations were provided. Original order and folder titles were
retained wherever possible.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Collections and Engagement of the American Jewish Historical Society,
except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more
information, contact American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish
History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. email: reference@ajhs.org

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by transliterated Yiddish title, followed by unknown
titles, role excerpts arranged alphabetically by play title, and other
script-related material.

Scope and Content:

Series I: Yiddish Manuscript Plays is comprised almost entirely of manuscript
plays written in Yiddish. As noted above, the titles of these plays have
been transliterated, and the plays are ordered by these transliterated
titles. Plays and play fragments with unknown titles follow the titled
plays. In addition, this series includes role excerpts from various Yiddish
plays and a small amount of assorted play material, consisting of small
fragments, song lists, character lists, etc.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by transliterated title within following categories:
lyrics from plays, lyrics to individual songs, sheet music, and
songbooks.

Scope and Content:

Series II: Yiddish Songs and Lyrics contains unpublished, informal music
material, primarily in the form of handwritten or typed lyrics. Formal,
published music material (songbooks and sheet music) constitutes a separate
series, Series VI: Songbooks and Sheet Music. Within Series II: Yiddish
Songs and Lyrics, first are songs and lyrics from particular plays, followed
by lyrics for individual songs. Although most lyrics are organized
individually, there are also folders consisting largely of lyrics for which
the title is unclear. This series also includes a small number of manuscript
songbooks and of pieces of manuscript sheet music. Lyrics to songs and
manuscript sheet music and songbooks, all primarily in Yiddish.

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

29

400

Lyrics from Dray farlibte

undated

29

401

Lyrics from Der grester
surprayz

undated

29

402

Lyrics from Mazl tov
Mali

undated

29

403

Lyrics from Monki
biznes

undated

29

404

Lyrics from Seydi iz a
leydi

undated

29

405

Lyrics from Tesi

undated

29

406

Lyrics from Tsirkus
meydel

undated

29

407

Lyrics from Vos meydlekh
tuen

undated

29

408

Lyrics (and sheet music) from The World of
Sholem Aleichem

1957

29

409

Di agode

undated

29

410

Alles ken sich trefen in New York

undated

29

411

Alles vos tsufiel iz umgezund

undated

29

412

Blayb a singelman

undated

29

413

Dulich Gesange

undated

29

414

Englisch Marsch-Duett

undated

29

415

Eyns in a guts

undated

29

416

Fikst men

undated

29

417

Gevald ikh zukh a man

undated

29

418

A gris for der mamyn

undated

29

419

Grist mayn shtodt Nu York

undated

29

420

Hakt nit keyn tshaynik

undated

29

421

Hob ikh a zorg

undated

29

422

Hokus pokus

undated

29

423

Hot imitser gezehn mayn shmitsig?

undated

29

424

Ich bin a Balsod

undated

29

425

Di Idishe blum

undated

29

426

Ikh hob a katar

undated

29

427

Ikh hob a vayb

undated

29

428

Ikh hob nit mit vos

undated

29

429

Ikh ken es (and related
material)

undated

29

430

Ikh zukh a man

undated

29

431

In dem goldenem Bich

undated

29

432

Klap in holts

undated

29

433

Lebt a gutten tog

undated

29

434

A lesen in shvimen

undated

29

435

Mali Pikon’s troymen

undated

29

436

Mayn gas [Yiddish lyrics moved to Folder 404 as
song in folder 436, "Seydi iz a leydi," is from Mayn gas
show.]

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by transliterated titles as they appeared.

Scope and Content:

Series III: Yiddish Radio Scripts consists of radio scripts written in
Yiddish. In many cases, original handwritten Yiddish scripts are accompanied
by typewritten transliterations. Researchers should note that transliterated
folder titles for this series vary from those for the other Yiddish material
in this collection because transliterations for this series were copied as
they appeared on the transliterated pages that followed the original Yiddish
pages. Researchers should also be aware that the titles for these scripts
may not always be formal or official titles; they often appear instead to be
abbreviations of full titles or to refer to subject matter or authors of
works from which scripts were derived. The dates provided for these scripts
are from handwritten annotations on the scripts regarding the dates that
they were recorded. Radio scripts not in Yiddish can be found in Series V:
Radio and Television Scripts.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by title with unknown titles at end.

Scope and Content:

Series IV: Manuscript Plays contains manuscript plays not in Yiddish. As
noted above, Yiddish play material can be found in Series I: Yiddish
Manuscript Plays. As with that series, plays and fragments with unknown
titles in Series IV follow the titled plays. Most of the plays are full
scripts, but there are also several synopses and one role excerpt.

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

38

711

Ahasverus, or, Esther's Persian Lamb

1944

38

712

Die Anarchisten

undated

38

713

Cafe Street

undated

38

714

Castles in the Air

undated

38

715

Chu Chem

undated

38

716

Come Blow Your Horn

1962

38

717

Der Doppelte Buchhalter

undated

38

718

Die Dressmakerin

undated

38

719

Ear Muffs in July

undated

38

720

The Education of Hyman Kaplan

undated

38

721

Festival

undated

38

722

Fiddler on the Roof

1969

38

723

A Fine and Private Place

1967

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

39

724

The Girl of the Good Will

undated

39

725

The Golden Door

1961

39

726

The Golden Goblet

1961

39

727

Grandma and the Girls

undated

39

728

Ha-Ha-Hadassah

undated

39

729

Harriet

1955

39

730

He Said Adios

1936

39

731

His Parisian Wife

undated

39

732

Hope of the World

undated

39

733

If I Were Rich

undated

39

734

Key to the Future

undated

39

735-736

Kid Mother

1926

39

737-738

Little Chief Shmendrik

1941

39

739

Make Momma Happy

undated

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

40

740

Make Momma Happy (Followed by
Pages of Handwritten Notes by Jacob Kalich)

undated

40

741

Make Momma Happy
(Synopsis)

undated

40

742

Miller's Tale

undated

40

743

Momma's House

undated

40

744

A Mother's Eyes

undated

40

745

Mystery Music Studio

undated

40

746

The Nurses (So Some Girls Play the Cello)

1964

40

747

Old Lady

undated

40

748

The Old Landmark
(Fragments)

undated

40

749

On the Wing

1929

40

750

Paris Is Out!

1969

40

751

Perishable Merchandise

1931-1935

40

752

Pilgrim's Pride

1946

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

41

753

Playground

undated

41

754

The Red Swan

undated

41

755

The Rubaiyat of Howard Klein

1967

41

756

The Rubaiyat of Howard Klein
(Annotated)

1967

41

757-758

Separation

undated

41

759

The Seventh Great Power

undated

41

760

Shmendrik

undated

41

761

Shmendrik (1 of 3)

undated

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

42

762

Shmendrik (2 of 3)

undated

42

763

Shmendrik (3 of 3)

undated

42

764

Shopping

undated

42

765

So Laugh a Little

circa 1967

42

766

Some of My Best Friends Are

undated

42

767

Stepmothers

undated

42

768

Summer Wives

undated

42

769

Surkala

undated

42

770

Tootsie

undated

42

771

The True Theater

undated

42

772-773

A Whisper in God's Ear

undated

Box

Folder

Title

Date

Request

43

774

Who Stole Irving

undated

43

775

Will It Last?

undated

43

776

Without Consent (Blank Form
Regarding Production Costs)

undated

43

777

Six Manuscripts by Estelle Baron: Double
Trouble; Layton, Share!; Layton's Gift; The Lost and the Found; No
Thanks, Mama; Willie's Folly

1962

43

778

Unknown Title (Author - Kenneth Webb; Adapted from On the Wing)

undated

43

779

Unknown Title (Author - Kenneth Webb; Adapted from On the Wing) (Annotated)

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by title; within Maxwell House Coffee Program shows,
arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Series V: Radio and Television Scripts contains non-Yiddish scripts,
primarily for radio programs but also for television shows. Included in the
series are a large number of scripts from the Maxwell House Coffee radio
programs that Picon hosted (organized chronologically) and from the Molly
Picon Theatre of the Air programs (organized alphabetically by episode
title). As indicated earlier, radio scripts in Yiddish are in Series III:
Yiddish Radio Scripts. While Series V consists almost entirely of actual
scripts, it also includes a synopsis of a proposed television series and an
untitled set of anecdotes.

Scope and Content:

Series VI: Songbooks and Sheet Music consists of formal, published music
material, in the form of both songbooks and sheet music. As indicated
previously, informally recorded, unpublished lyrics, songbooks, and sheet
music are in Series II: Yiddish Songs and Lyrics. Series VI is divided into
two subseries: Subseries A: Songbooks and Subseries B: Sheet Music.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Series VII: Programs and Announcements is comprised of programs for Picon's
performances in theatrical productions and of announcements, flyers, and
advertisements for these performances as well as for appearances at
benefits, etc. An additional advertisement can be found within Series VIII:
Correspondence, in the oversize correspondence folder (1179) in Box 59; this
item was placed in the correspondence series because it contains a personal
handwritten note to Picon from Jacob Kalich, but it is also of interest as
an announcement of a performance.

Arrangement:

Arranged by correspondents, chronologically, and by subject.

Scope and Content:

Series VIII: Correspondence includes a great deal of correspondence between
Picon and her husband Jacob Kalich as well as between Picon and her family.
Much of this correspondence is in Yiddish. The series also contains general
correspondence with a variety of persons and letters dealing specifically
with particular subjects, such as benefit performances, fan mail (to both
Picon and Jacob Kalich), and charitable contributions. The series is
arranged for the most part by correspondents and by subject; the general
correspondence is ordered chronologically, with a folder for undated general
correspondence. The dated folders within the general correspondence sequence
are marked "circa 19xx-19xx," however, because they, too, contain some
undated material. This material was kept with the dated material, rather
than put in the undated folder, because it either clearly belonged as part
of a set with other letters in the folder or was originally grouped with
other letters in the folder. Researchers should be aware that some of this
latter material may in fact be from a different period than the other
correspondence in the folder.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content:

Series IX: Subject Files contains a significant amount of material relating
to the USO tours in which Picon participated. Among this material are
bulletins, scripts, and souvenirs. The series also includes business
agreements concerning Picon's appearances and performance schedules; a
memorial book for Picon's mother, Clara Picon; a notebook with Picon's
personal notes for her role of Yente in the Fiddler on
the Roof film; materials from her European tour of 1946; feature
articles and press notices about Picon and her performances; personal
documents; news clippings; and travel souvenirs.

Scope and Content:

Series X: Photographs incorporates all facets of Picon's life. Subjects range
from personal settings with family and friends to travels to theatrical
performances to special occasions and events. Series X is divided into two
subseries: Subseries A: Alphabetical by Production Title and Subseries B:
Alphabetical by Subject. Subseries A consists of photographs of theatrical
productions and features poses and scenes from the productions. Subseries B
contains photographs taken in a variety of other contexts, both formal and
informal. While most of the photographs in the collection are of Picon,
Series X also contains a number of photographs of Jacob Kalich. In
particular, photographs of Kalich can be found in Mezrach und Maarev (Box
56, Folder 1103) and in Various Subjects (Box 56, Folder 1125), as well as
in folders that include his name in the title. Also of interest, the series
contains photographs of other Yiddish theater celebrities. These can be
found among the photographs of Subseries A as well as in Yiddish Theater
Celebrities (Box 56, Folder 1126).

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Series XI: Scrapbooks consists of twenty-two scrapbooks kept by Picon. The
scrapbooks primarily contain newspaper clippings but some also have letters,
notes, tickets, programs, and other general memorabilia. The newspaper
clippings are mainly in Yiddish and English. The scrapbooks are arranged
roughly chronologically. The date ranges for the scrapbooks were taken, when
possible, from notations on the covers of the scrapbooks.

Eighteen of the twenty-two scrapbooks have been digitized and can be accessed
by clicking on the "Scrapbooks" links.